My job, call center and my job title is Customer Service Adviser. This is a copy/paste from the bad stuff thread.
I do ask myself on a daily basis why i even go in, maybe it's the money. Maybe it's the friends i have. Yes, that's it. It's both. And if the friends dried up (aka they left), i'd be gone as well. The way it's meant to be is, everyone should be treated equally and fairly. But it does not happen. Many people get away with things that even i can't get away with, because of their group of "friends" they have. Management have completely lost the plot since the new boss has come in. People get away with things that no-one should be able to get away with. Especially with leave and the job. You are permitted 3x 5 minute breaks between your hour lunch and 2x 15 minute breaks (which are set at certain times of the day). Which is meant to balance things out on the phones, but it doesn't as everyone goes at the same time leaving the phones un-manned around 1pm. And because of this, i've been told I can't have my lunch until half 1 because of the lack of people on the phone. I have addressed this to the manager, who simply said “so what, get over it and do as you are told”
I see some people walking in and out of each wing on their “5 minutes”, who are clearly out of their desk for over 5 minutes. How do I know this, I sit next to a manager and I can see the log-in page and how long some people are in a code for. Does this get bought up, no. Those 3x 5 minute breaks, people abuse them and get away with it as the manager simply "wipes" the record of them ever taking the break. I go 2 seconds over, and i have it in the neck. What makes me laugh is how people get away with what they are doing, heck i know people who are on "medical" leave and are plainly just skiving. I know a few people who do this, and I have bought this to management and asked them to check their reasons as to why they are off. I know the real reason, management know the lie. 2 people who sit in my wing should be fired, but alas are not and it does surprise me. But if i took one day out of the ordinary, which i have then i had a written warning against me. I spoke up against management, and i got told "get over it".
That's just the management and work colleagues. The work itself is a different rant. Those who work in a call center will know this and agree that the customers/public who call have serious attitude problems and feel they have the need to abuse you over the phone when they don't like the decision being made (¾ of the time, it's the customers fault because they fail to tell us on time certain things. I have been told that if you've worked in a shop with difficult customers, I can handle the calls. This should work, but never does because face to face is completely different to over the phone. Customers treat you different, and will take the chance to swear, abuse and be racist if they need to be.
I could rant and rave all day, but i won't. The job centre got me this job, I had to apply for it and as it was offered to me in the job centre I couldn't turn it down. If I did, I would have lost a months benefit. Call Center work is aweful, and I hate it with a passion. I will not work in another call center again after this one.